3 ms·
> few readers here will have been at the poverty line, where it might appear a little more ambiguous whether taking a small cut from a very successful business
by saraid216 13y ago
> few readers here will have been at the poverty line, where it might appear a little more ambiguous whether taking a small cut from a very successful business which pays minimum wage is so clearly immoral.
WalterBright's comment indicates some confusion with this, so I'll help explain.
There's a basic notion of fairness that what you've contracted to do (your job) in return for money (your wages) is fair. But a lot of people don't see minimum wage as a fair wage: it's simply better than no wage. As such, in the context of a business whose payroll policy is perceived as unfair, then the notion of "what's fair" begins to tolerate theft: what you're being paid for isn't fair, so you're making it fair by stealing.
I don't agree with this, but I do understand it.
- rustynails77 13y agoI don't agree with it, nor do I understand it. I see the same behaviour in corporate bankers are are earning many millions per year. It's OK to steal because I deserve more. People like this are common thieves - and nothing more. Growing up, my family went from poor to middle class. We did the hard yards. We never stole. Why? Because its about principals and ethics. Never, never excuse a thief. If your statement were true, i'd rip off the volunteer organisations that I _volunteer_ in ... because they don't pay me enough.
- sn41 13y agoI don't agree with your hardline ethics. This is one of the big points raised in "Les Miserables". Stealing a loaf of bread when you're starving is qualitatively different from corporate banking behavior. Humane empathy to the unfortunates is bigger than priniciples. Here's another twist - by refusing to pay fair wages, the employer is stealing from the employee. "Hark in thine ear: change places and, handy-dandy, which is the justice, which is the thief?" - King Lear
- saraid216 13y ago> If your statement were true, i'd rip off the volunteer organisations that I _volunteer_ in ... because they don't pay me enough. Presumably, you volunteer because you aren't interested in getting money from them. In that case, you wouldn't feel that the wages you're getting are unfair and thus wouldn't feel motivated to steal.
- ensignavenger 13y agoI think there is room to understand the actions of another without condoning or excusing those actions.